Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war and fund the military, and the President is commander in chief. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the President to notify Congress after deploying forces into hostilities and limits deployments absent authorization.
Congress has often used authorizations for the use of military force, or AUMFs, instead of formal declarations. The 2001 authorization passed after the September 11 attacks has been cited for many operations.
Scholars and lawmakers debate how broad such authorizations should be and when Congress should revisit them.
